Selfbuilder & Homemaker – July – August 2019

overlooking The Gannel, the river that is home
to the egrets the house is named after, that runs
to Crantock Beach just 200 metres away. “He
said it was best to buy the worst house in the
best road, rather than the other way around.”
Always with the intention of knocking it down
and rebuilding, Wendy says real life got in the
way – namely their four children – and so the
bungalow served as a happy if cramped family
holiday home for more than a decade, before
they finally began work in 2017 by knocking
it down.
“We bought the bungalow in April 2008,” says
Jeff. “but we had a two-year-old and another on
the way, so the two-bedroom flat became too
small. The bungalow had two bedrooms, but
with the loft (poorly) converted to provide
another large open plan bedroom. For many
years we just all slept up in the top room, as it
had the better views over the estuary.
“The house was in very average condition,
and for 10 years we did the bare minimum to
keep it to a reasonable standard as we always
had it, with a view to either undertake a big
extension/refurbishment project, or to knock it
down and start again,” Jeff continues.
And after living in a one-room holiday space
where only the most basic remedial work was
carried out, there was plenty of time for the
family to consider what their dream home
should look like.
Jeff and Wendy were very hands-on when it
came to the design for the new house, and were
keen to make use of the local talent. “We used
Andy Breese at Artchart in Newquay for all the

drawing and planning work. He then acted as a

very reliable and helpful contracts administrator

during the build. I have limited construction

experience and knowledge, so Andy has been a

huge help to us.”

MAXIMISING THE SITE

The site is now home to a modernist beach

house that makes the most of those incredible

views. Behind a white-washed exterior, the

Tardis-like interior featuring six bedrooms, a

games room and an open plan

kitchen/dining/living space with vaulted ceiling

and a wall of windows leading to a terrace. 

Keen to maximise the views – Cornwall’s

LOW POINT

For those with

money to invest as

well as a taste for

serious structural

renovation, there are

plenty of crumbling

cottages still dotted

around Cornwall’s

coastline

UPSIDE DOWN

The reverse level house

features an open plan space

complete with its own snug

“We had some local

objection at the

planning stage.”

–Jeff & Wendy East

54www.sbhonline.co.uk july/august 2019